A STATE WATER TRAIL GUIDE TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER Loerch WMA
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ake 21 L ong L Phillbrookbbrookrook WMAWMA h Sout Interstate HighwayU.S. Highway State Highway County Road 4444 2222 StanchfieldStaS nchfielfifie d LakeLake WMWMAA 01234miles W.M.A. = Wildlife Management Area 4545 North 0 1234kilometers S.N.A. = Scientific and Natural Area ShamineauShamineau Group Camp LLakeake Fee Charged 985 Camp 9 ROUTE DESCRIPTION BRAINERD to LITTLE FALLS Wing ow Cr Lake 963.8 U.S. Highway 10 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ROUTE Ripley 131 113131 2323 1 Sand plains, a forest of mixed hardwoods, islands and undeveloped shoreline define this river section. Broad 962.4 (R) 4th Avenue Landing 371 121 shallow areas create riffles during most of the year, which complicate navigation for all but canoes and similar 2121 small craft. 962.3 LeBourget Park/5th Ave. Landing 2 2 Crow Wing State Park and Camp Ripley Military Reservation occupy much of the section. The river’s banks FishFish TTraprap ThereLLakeake are accessesLakeLake AAlexanderl eonxa bothnde rsides WWoodsoo ofds the SSNN Ariver are undeveloped, even though the Twin Cities are about two hours south. Paddling is easy, the views are above the dam. Military remarkable, and fishing is great. Researchers conducting a recreational study of the Mississippi found one LakeLake gentleman who was on the river north of Little Falls almost daily during the open water season—which ended for 961.9 (L) Little Falls Dam, Access and Pier AAlexanderlexander 2 2 him on the Monday after one cold Thanksgiving. Chunks of ice were floating down the river, but the angler took a Built in the late 19th century the dam is day’s haul of smallmouth bass. nowLLakeake owned AAlexanderlexan byde Minnesotar Wooodsods SSNA NPowerA and used Fort Ripley 4545 KobliskaKoobobliskao liska WWMWMAMAM Reservation 980 Landing River to generate electricity for town and for 1300 River miles are counted upstream from the Mississippi’s confluence withKobKKoKobliska thelis Ohioka WMWMA MAMRiver, according to a system Nokassippi developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. operations of Hennepin Power, located just Little Nokasippi River WMAMA Note: (R) and (L) refer to right bank and left bank, respectively, when facing downstream. downstream on the west bank. There is a public access on the river’s east bank. 121222 Portage left 325 yards, just downstream 997.8 (L) Kiwanis Park from the Hwy 27 bridge. Sebie 139 fort also secured passage on the Woods Trail, Lake LongLong PrairiePrairie RiRivervver WWMA LakeLake AAlexandelexander WoWo odsod SNAs SNA Little ssippi The Mississippi leaves the City of Brainerd which ran on the east side of the river, as Fort Ripley NokassippiNoka at Kiwanis Park. The City of Baxter extends Highway 371 does today. There is also a 961.7 (R) Mill Park River downriver on the river’s right, or western shorefishing area just downstream. CROW WING COUNTY bank. The Minnesota Department of Natural 961.0 (L) Weyerhauser-Musser and Rosenmeier MORRISON COUNTY Resources Regional Headquarters is located 976.0 (R) Pipe Island Homes LongLonLPiig PrairiePrraiiriiririe RiverRiverr WMAWMA Overlooking the Mississippi River and 2525 on either side of the river, but generally, the Numerous islands in the river corridor are the Broke corridor is wooded. result of the river’s profile and human use of Ruff-Nikff-N Nik WWMWMA Little Falls’ river parks are two gracious n 49 4949 Bow Cr. 2323 the area. Logs were once floated downriver, older homes, built by the Weyerhauser and Pipe Island 994.8 (L) Buffalo Creek and often caught midstream on the rocks and Musser families. Just east of those two 4545 Before settlement, this area was an open boulders. Jams of logs eventually became houses is the home occupied by Gordon 975 plain where buffalo grazed, and the journals Ruff-NikRufff-Nikf WMAWMA Rosenmeier, who had a distinguished career islands in the shallows of this river section, WittikerWittikerk WWMA of river explorers Zebulon Pike, Lewis Cass, There are dozens of these islands in the in the Minnesota Senate. and Henry Schoolcraft each record the Turtlertle CrCreekreekk WWMWMA channel.A Watch for mud, and soft-shelled explorer’s comments on the plain’s striking turtles sunning on exposed rocks and 960.3 (R) Charles A. Lindbergh State Park and 281 71 appearance. branches. Historic Site/ Pike Creek Landing Ripley Esker SNA 51 The state park is upstream of the Island 37 272777 992.4 (R) Baxter Campsite 970.1 State Highway 115 Mississippi’s confluence with Pike Creek, 371 1 This is the southern boundary of Camp and the historic site is downstream of the Neiterermeierr ermeier WMAW 992.3- (L) Crow Wing State Park Ripley. confluence. Campsites are located one mile 48 4848
986.0 The park has a variety of day use and up Pike Creek. There is camping, boat reek access, modern facilities and interpretive RandallRaanandndall C BBrowervillerowe overnightrville facilities,SheShSheetseets The LaLakekke historice WMAWWM Red River 969.2 (R) Fletcher’s Creek Landing & Campsite Ox Cart Trail leads the visitor through the River access only for the public. Campsite on programs at the park. The park is named for town site of the once-prosperous Old Crow the right bank just downstream of the boat the Minnesota Congressman who was also Topeka Island Wing, which now features picnic grounds. access. There is a private campground on the the father of the aviator Charles Lindbergh. 115 tcher Interpretive exhibits and naturalists programs left, or east, bank. An island bisects the The family lived in the house before 1010 Fle are provided at a shelter area. There is a boat Mississippi below Fletcher’s Creek Charles A. Lindbergh’s election to 970 Camp Ripley Junction 47 4747 4747 launch one mile upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi. Congress. The family spent summers in Green Prairie Fish Lake Fletcher Creek confluence of the Mississippi and Crow HartfordHarH tfofordordr WMAWWMAWMM Little Falls in later years. Landing Wing rivers; a primitive campsite 966.7 (L) Belle Prairie County Park & Campsite Otter Point WMA 262 and carry in access downstream of the This is a day use park. The shallows near the 959.9 (R) Pike Creek Landing 1 4747 226565 confluence, and other camping options park make a productive home for Concrete plank boat access. throughout the park. A State Park Vehicle smallmouth bass. Fishing is terrific, residents 4545 Permit is required. say. The Franciscan Sisters, whose church is This location marks the down river boundary of this LaLastrupstrupu map.LitLittle Refertttttletle ElkElkEl tok W WWMA mapMAM 6, Little Falls to St. Cloud, for near by, protect a beautiful stand of virgin . ie er Crr. 987.3 (R) Crow Wingri River white pine at the park. further downriverLittleLittle EElklk information. RiverRiv
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The Crow WingPrairieP is a 100 mile river with a k 2525 Little Belle Prairie County Park MinkMin 2727 gradient of 2.5 feet per mile. It is an excellent 964.4 (R) Little Elk River Roscoe Island and popular canoeing stream. Mississippi River 4646 This is an historic Ojibwe village site. It is Elk 46
ong tte L Long also the sight of the western-most fur trade Rive PlattePla 978.9 (L) Fort Ripley Landing post built by the French in the 18th century. r 265 Mud LaLakeake WMA 371 Big The Nokasippi River meets the Mississippi Later a grain mill was built and a townsite 965 10 River here. This was the original location of planned, but they never developed.BeautyBea Fort Gaines, built in 1848 to protect 22 Ereaux WMA
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LaL er Minnesota during treaty negotiations with the RiverRiv Dakota and Ojibwe to provide a buffer; the 215 43 k n 214 43 LeBourget 43 SkunkSku Park Landing Culduldrum WMAWMAM Little Falls Dam L 4th Avenue Landing Y Portage Left • 325 yards 45 PierzPierzr COUNTY C NT 27 NNN 27 27 Little Falls Dam N UN Pike Little Falls LongLong PrairiePrairiee CO 238 27 27 C r 10 ODD eek Lake 2525 TODD COUNTY TODD TTT MORRISON COUNTYMORRISON 1 ierz 7171 Pike Creek Popple Lake WMA PierzP GenolaGenola 287 28 Campsite Charles A. Lindbergh 222 Fee Charged State Park Pike Creek 960 FlensburgFlene sburg Landing
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© 2013 State of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources 5 of 9 - Brainerd to Little Falls A STATE WATER TRAIL GUIDE TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER MISSISSIPPI STATE WATER “The Mississippi here traverses the immense plains which A Guide RIVER TRAIL extend to the Missouri, and which present to the eye a spectacle at once interesting and fatiguing. Scarcely the slightest variation in the surface occurs, and they are entirely destitute of timber. In this debatable land, the game is very abundant; buffaloes, elks and deer range unharmed and unconscious of harm.” Lewis Cass, 1820
Minnesota State Parks and Trails mndnr.gov/watertrails HEADWATERS RIVER TRAIL PLANNING A SAFE RIVER TRIP ABOUT THIS RIVER SECTION Camp Ripley Military Reservation is located on the HEADWATERS RESOURCES river’s west bank. It extends 18 river miles downstream BELTRAMI Brainerd to Little Falls ITASCA River from the confluence with the Crow Wing River. The land Turtle River Turtle Lake Bemidji Lake er Andrusia v is owned by the State of Minnesota and managed by the MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Cass Lake ie Ri CLEAR- Bemidji ir A successful river trip is safe. To enjoy a safe journey, a Lake Winnibigoshish Pr WATER you should be prepared. You should be acquainted with Minnesota Department of Military Affairs. The Camp 1601 Minnesota Drive, Brainerd, MN 56401 Cass Lake (218) 833-8715 Ball Club er Deer River covers 53,000 acres and serves as a training facility for Riv Cohasset your route. Choose a distance that is comfortable for you. er aft Leech r e Riv lc Lak Grand Rapids Lake Itasca National Guard and MNDNR units. Camp Ripley hoo Lake George Sw Water levels can speed you or slow you: get information Sc Vermillion
Pokegama an River River Lake about water levels from the regional DNR office, or supports numerous environmental programs, and special Walker CROW WING STATE PARK HUBBARD Remer Splithand River check the river level gauges listed in the route uses of its lands, such as deer hunting for disabled 7100 State Park Rd. SW, Brainerd, MN 56401 W ill ow Jacobson CASS River description section of this map. Protect the water and veterans. Timberwolves have made a comeback here. (218) 825-3075 shorelands and leave nothing behind you except The Camp is known today for its winter training Big Sandy CROW WING Palisade Lake programs, and hosts troops from around the world.
Crow footprints. Remember that much of the shorelands are Cross Lake Pi ne Ri BRAINERD LAKES AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Wing Troops have been stationed here since the early 19th ver McGregor privately owned.
Ri ver century. 6th & Washington Sts. PO Box 356, Crosby Aitkin Brainerd, MN 56401-0356 Deerwood Downstream of Camp Ripley, the Mississippi’s Riverton The Mississippi River makes a question mark shape (218) 829-2838 • 1(800) 450-2838 AITKIN Gull LakePillager Brainerd on the land as it travels from Lake Itasca to St. Cloud. channel is broken by the Thousand Islands, created about Trip Planning er Riv You are invited to follow the Headwaters River Trail 100 years ago when logs jammed the shallow river. The asippi Nok • Travel with a companion or group. Plan your trip The Mississippi River completes its circuit around Fort Ripley down the first 420 miles of the Mississippi River. At largest log jam in the world formed north of Little Falls LITTLE FALLS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Randall Lit with a map before you depart and advise someone of tle the high lands of northern Minnesota as it approaches Elk MORRISON in 1893-4. It started at the Northern Pacific railroad 200 1st St. NW, Little Falls, MN 56345-1365 R Lake Itasca, the Headwaters trickle over a stone ledge, iv er your plans including planned departure and arrival Brainerd from the northeast. The river flows out of the (320) 632-5155 Little Falls where you can wade across the mighty river. Tributaries bridge and extended up the Mississippi some 6-1/2 miles wan Riv S er times. forest and wetlands of northern Minnesota and into a add momentum for the 2,348 mile trek to the Gulf of long, 1/2 mile wide and 30 to 60 feet deep. There were Royalton • Most people paddle two to three river miles per hour. narrow valley, bounded by broad sandplains. The main Mexico; groundwater contributes two-thirds of the about 4-1/2 billion board feet of lumber in the jam. It • Lake Bemidji, Cass Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish channel is quite broad, but broken up by islands. took 150 men, five teams of horses, and one steam Mississippi River’s initial flow. From the Headwaters, can be dangerous; stay within swimming distance of Sartell The Crow Wing River flows southeasterly to the engine about six months to break it up. Some logs St. Cloud the river flows through nine lakes. Glacial hills, called shore. If you are uncomfortable with large open Mississippi from a system of lakes lying east of the moraines, and glacial depressions, now lakes and remained in place, gathering sediment and eventually water, plan to use a vehicle to portage around the Mississippi headwaters at Lake Itasca. Minnesota’s wetlands, create scenic views. Wetlands, marshes, and becoming the islands that break the river’s path today. “The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources lakes. eastern forests and western prairies intersect at the is an Equal Opportunity Employer” oxbows act as natural filtration systems, preserving water Just upstream of Little Falls, Belle Prairie Park • Bring a first aid kit that includes waterproof confluence of these two rivers. quality. Rapids and riffles dot the entire river. Fishing is offers day use. A Catholic mission was established here matches. The Nokasippi River drains the lowlands of Crow great! in the 19th century, led by Father Pierz, who traveled This information is available in alternative • Be cautious of river obstructions, such as Wing County from just east of Mille Lacs Lake. Below River elevation drops 500 feet from Itasca to St. extensively throughout the lands held by Ojibwe people. format upon request. overhanging and dead trees in the river. the confluence with the Nokasippi River, the Mississippi Cloud. Hydropower and water control dams require A stand of virgin white pine is tended by the Franciscan • You must pack out all trash. flows through a flat valley formed by glacial outwash portages. A braided river pattern joins the Mesabi and Sisters who operate a convent and boarding school east • Leave only footprints; take only photographs! material that is now bounded by hills on either side. The Online water trail information and Cuyuna Iron Ranges — 100 miles apart by road and 200 of the river. A replica of the original log cabin convent shoreline is vegetated, and the lands just maps can be found at miles by river. The Cuyuna Range is the most rugged can be seen next to the Belle Prairie beyond are cultivated for farming. The water mndnr.gov/watertrails area of the Headwaters. Near Brainerd, development and church. Belle Prairie Park contains table is very shallow, making the sandplain agriculture increase with a more defined channel; natural Rest Areas and a remnant of the Red River Ox Cart area quite productive. Local farmers draw characteristics are preserved. Camping Sites Trail, which linked fur trading posts water from the Mississippi for irrigation and Minnesota State Parks and Mississippi Headwaters The Mississippi Headwaters Board is an • Public rest areas are in the Red River Valley with St.
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P I S P.O. Box 3000, Walker, MN 56484 S The Mississippi’s channel is underlain I S S to rest, picnic and explore. The confluence of the I 218-547-7263 M natural, cultural, scenic, scientific and recreational values 1601 Minnesota Drive E H OF T mhbriverwatch.dst.mn.us by rocky bars that create riffles and make Brainerd, MN 56401 identified in the Mississippi Headwaters Guide Book. • Camp only in designated Mississippi and the Little Elk River, 218-828-2619 navigation difficult for even the smallest The Headwaters is an extraordinary place for wildlife campsites, which are just north of Little Falls, is the site boat’s motor. These riffles create small and rare plants. Citizens protect the Mississippi River at available on a first of Fort Duquesne, a colonial standing waves in the channel. The system This Publication was produced by the Mississippi Headwaters board in its Headwaters to help provide safe drinking water to come-first served basis. outpostbuilt by the Marins, an cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Financial of riffles begins at Pipe Island, about three SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEMS support was provided by the folowing organizations. millions of people downstream in St. Cloud and the Twin • Bring drinking water. It is influential family who controlled the French interest west river miles below the Nokasippi, and continues down Outdoor recreation is dependent on a healthy and Cities, and in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, only available at a limited of Green Bay in the early 1750s. The area was also home Minnesota Power river to the State Highway 115 bridge, the southern attractive natural environment. Sustainable outdoor REI/National Rivers Coalition Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. number of rest areas. to Ojibway leader Hole-In-The-Day, the site of a church Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board boundary of Camp Ripley. Good water quality supports recreation enables people to enjoy the outdoors without Itasca Trails Task Force Choose a wilderness experience or visit parks with a Drinking river water is not mission and an early town site. an excellent game fish population including muskie, negative impacts on the environment. Communities McKnight Foundation variety of facilities. Either way you will see a unique recommended, but if you National Forest Foundation walleye, smallmouth bass and northern pike. working together can improve water resources by place and meet the people who live here. The Mississippi do it must be treated. The original prairies bordering the Mississippi were promoting environmentally sensitive land-use practices River is a fun place to visit. • Respect private property. Stop only at designated three to five miles long and one mile wide. These sand along rivers and throughout watersheds. Natural DNR Information Center sites; much of the plains were covered in prairie plants, which adapted to shoreline buffers improve water quality by filtering out The DNR’s Information Center is available to provide free pollutants and sediments. Healthy and diverse native publications of facilities and services as well as answers questions shoreland is private property. open and dry areas. The prairie vole and the upland pertaining to DNR recreational opportunities in Minnesota. • Be sanitary! Use designated toilet facilities or bury sandpiper live here. Watch for deer, raccoon, bear, shoreline plant human waste away from the river. muskrat, beaver, turtles, waterfowl, hawks and eagles communities are The DNR Information Center along the shore. attractive and provide 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4040 651-296-6157 Metro Area A prominent glacial feature of this section is the important habitat for 1-888-646-6367 MN Toll-Free Ripley esker, lying just east of the Mississippi. This birds and wildlife. Boating Information sinuous ridge was created by the deposit of sediments mndnr.gov • Wear a U. S. Coast Guard approved personal where a stream once ran under a glacier. The ridge’s west flotation device. slope is mostly open and dominated by a remnant oak • Bring an extra paddle. You can make a difference by joining the DNR savanna and dry prairie. In contrast, the east slope Adopt-a-River Program. Be a clean up volunteer • Not all portions of this water trail are suitable for for a portion of your favorite recreation area. Call supports a diverse deciduous woods, including maple motor use. the DNR Information Center for a brochure, or and basswood. The actual esker is about three miles long. visit mndnr.gov/adoptariver. • Register your watercraft. All watercraft more than 9 A section of the esker is owned by the Nature feet in length, including nonmotorized canoes and Conservancy and is protected as a Minnesota Scientific Photos: Peter Card II kayaks, must be registered in Minnesota or your and Natural Area. © 2014 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources state of residence.